Health and Safety Manager - Head Start/Early Head Start Program - Children's Home Society

The Health and Safety Manager is responsible for the oversight of all aspects of the child health and safety service area of program. The Health and Safety Manager actively advocates for the health, education and wellness of families and children enrolled in Early Head Start in coordination with other community resources. 

Leading the Health, Content Area: As the standard-bearer and the resident expert both on the Performance Standards and Health service, the Health Manager provides guidance, support, and suggestions to the home-based supervisor, and EHS Center based Manager. The Health Manager works closely with other content area coordinators/managers to provide comprehensive services and is an advocate for quality programs for children and families. Leads the Health and nutrition service area plan.

Planning and Implementing the Health service Area: Working cooperatively with parents and staff, the Health Manager organizes the development and annual review of the Health service area Plan. The Health Manager ensures that everyone involved understands the Performance Standards, Head Start Act and the procedures for developing a sound Health service area plan.

Implementing the Program: Implementing the Health service area means ensuring that the staff know how to provide a high-quality health, oral health, mental health, and nutrition services that are developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate and that will support each child’s growth and school readiness, and involving parents in the program. Works with CHSofNJ staff, management and community agencies and partners.

Administering the Program: This involves working with the Deputy Director to implement the policies and procedures that will facilitate the implementation of the quality Health services and safety practices. Administrative duties include keeping records, establishing procedures for special situations, overseeing facilities, and tracking all Health, safety and Nutrition activities. The Health and Safety Manager collaborates with content area managers/specialist to assist in coordinating referrals, and evaluations s for enrolled children and their families. Ensures referrals are for Health and Nutrition is completed and; oversees that follow-up occurs within a timely manner.

Supervising: The Health and Safety Manager directly supervises the Nutritionist, Health Coordinator and Kitchen supervisor. Responsibilities include providing ongoing support, supervision and feedback to the team, building morale, and acting as a resource and problem solver as well as conducting scheduled performance appraisals.

Training Parents and Staff: Health Manager participates in the development of the Program Training Plan, which is based on staff, parent, and program needs and the training requirements in the Performance Standards. Ensures staff is trained in safety practices, health, oral health, mental health, and nutrition services that are developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate.

Evaluating the Heath service area: Head Start has a built-in evaluation systems, the annual self-assessment, Quarterly health report, CACFP reports and monitoring plan. The Health Manager monitor and participates in the evaluation process to determine whether the Health service area complies with the Performance Standards and the Head Start Act.

Performance Standards: Health and Safety services Manager has the primary responsibility for ensuring that the following Performance Standards objectives are achieved:

Essential Functions:

· Provide all services to children and parents within a strengths based model.

· Support the strengths and goals of families in a non-judgmental manner that supports parents as the expert on their child’s health.

· Ensure that families are connected with a medical home for ongoing care, which includes medical and dental nutrition services.

· Develop and implement a system of management, including ongoing training, oversight, correction and continuous improvement, that includes policies and practices to ensure all facilities, equipment and materials, safety training, safety and hygiene practices and administrative safety procedures are adequate to ensure child safety

· Develop a system to track referrals and services provided and monitor the implementation of a follow-up plan to meet any treatment needs associated with a health, oral health, social and emotional, or developmental problem.

· Work collaboratively with the Health, Nutrition and Supervisors and staff to assist parents’ navigation through health systems to meet the general health and specifically identified needs of their children.

· Collaborate with parents to promote children’s health and well-being by providing medical, oral, nutrition and mental health education support services that are understandable to individuals, including individuals with low health literacy

· Prepare a quarterly written Family Health Services reports for presentation to the Policy Council and the Executive Director for use in program planning.

· Develop an annual written policies and procedure manual related to Health and Safety in accordance with the Head Start Performance Standards; obtain Policy Council input and approval

· Plays an active and participatory role in ensuring full compliance at all times with Head Start Health and Safety as well as Nutrition service areas.

· Maintain and electronic or hard copy individual health records of all children and complete health tracking reports in accordance with Head Start Performance Standards, including: Assuring that health and dental screenings are completed within ninety (90) days of the students' first day of attendance and that all follow-up is completed by the end of the school year. Vision and hearing screenings must be completed within forty-five (45) days of the first day of attendance.

· Work collaboratively with the Health, Nutrition and Supervisors and staff to ensure developmental and health screenings are completed within a timely manner and that a culture of safety is established at all times during program operations.

· Creates action plans addressing health and safety needs of children as identified in the child’s developmental and health screenings.

· Reviews child’s medical and dental treatment plans prior to provision of services. Establishes that enrolled children are up to date on a schedule of well childcare including required immunizations.

Education and Experience: · MPH, BS, BA in family or pediatric health or related field or combination of education and related experience totaling five years; preference given to experience and/or education with early childhood population. · Must work well with co-workers, parents, children and the public.  Demonstrated organizational ability. · Experience working with multi-cultural populations · Ability to communicate clearly and accurately, verbally and in writing · Ability to prepare reports and presentations in a professional manner · Basic computer keyboarding skills and knowledge of Microsoft Office. · Ability to maintain strict confidentiality at all times, including the ability to recognize situations in which confidentiality is required · Ability to work independently, with a minimum of supervision.